Led Zeppelin - Photo 11 - Pictures - CBS News Led Zeppelin Next The rock band Led Zeppelin (John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, John Bonham and Jimmy Page) poses for a portrait in 1968. By the mid-seventies, Led Zeppelin was the most popular rock band in the world. They sold more than 300 million records, and devoured the world with their thunderous sound and their wicked ways. But the group disbanded after the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980. Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Guitarist Jimmy Page (center, rear) is photographed with the English rock band Carter-Lewis and the Southerners, c. 1964. An art college student, Page became renowned as a session player comfortable in many different genres, from rockabilly to rock 'n' roll to acoustic blues and electric blues Credit: Mark and Colleen Hayward/Getty Images Bass guitarist John Paul Jones (pictured here in 1969) was also working as a session player when his wife saw a notice in a music newspaper that Jimmy Page was forming a band.

"I was doing so much work in sessions - I don't know, 20 20 sessions a week, I was going completely crazy and burning out," Page explained to Mason. "So she said, 'Why don't you call him up? See if he needs a bass player.' And I went, 'You gotta be crazy. I've got too much work going on, I can't do this.'" But Page did call: "[Jones] said, 'I'm going up to the Village to see a singer and we think he knows a drummer. I'll tell you what they're like when I get back.' And he came back, said, 'They're amazing. Come on, let's go and rehearse.'" Credit: Dick Barnatt/Redferns/Getty Images The singer was Robert Plant. He had played with drummer John Bonham in the Band of Joy, when he was recruited by Jones to join his new band. Jones recalled to Mason their first rehearsal together: "So Page suggested a thing, he said, 'Well, there's a thing we used to do with the Yardbirds called 'Train Kept A-Rollin'' which is basically a blues sequence with this riff.

So he just counted in, 'Three, four ...' and just like, whoa, the room just exploded. "I mean, rhythm section particularly are always, like, wary in a new situation," he laughed. "Because you've gotta work really closely together. And so I'm thinking, 'Oh, I wonder what the drummer's like.' And he was probably thinking, 'I wonder what the bass player's like.' But within, I don't know, four bars, we all knew - 'Oh, thank goodness for that. This is gonna work. This is great.'" Credit: Dick Barnatt/Redferns/Getty Images Guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, photographed in London in December 1968. Credit: Dick Barnatt/Redferns/Getty Images A poster advertising a 1969 concert at Fillmore West in San Francisco starring Country Joe & The Fish, Led Zeppelin, and Taj Mahal. Credit: GAB Archive/Redferns/Getty Images Led Zeppelin's first album, first released in the U.S. by Atlantic Records in January 1969.

Songs included "Good Times Bad Times," "Dazed and Confused," "Communication Breakdown" and "I Can't Quit You Baby." Credit: Atlantic Records Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin in pictured in a recording studio with Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, May 23, 1969. Credit: Charles Bonnay/Getty Images The second studio album by Led Zeppelin, released in October 1969. Songs featured included "Whole Lotta Love," "Ramble On" and "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)." The band made its name on the underground circuit of touring, and by American FM radio (given that their recorded output did not led itself easily to bite-sized pop hits for AM radio play). "FM radio was alive and well at this point of time, and they were playing whole album sides, for heaven's sake," Page told Mason. "They don't have some silly tune, singles. You could hear people's work properly. It was so refreshing to be in a tour bus, listening to, like, the local FM station and saying, 'Yes, this is what we've all been about in music. It's really surfaced.

And it's there, it's alive and well.' And then you go back to England, be faced with doing some silly single. "So I'd learned that the thing to do was to be making albums. And sure, okay, something needs to be played on the AM station for heralding the fact that there's an album. Well, so be it. But we're not gonna concentrate on singles because we're gonna concentrate on the albums." Credit: Atlantic Records Bassist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham of the British rock group Led Zeppelin perform at the Bath Festival, Shepton Mallet, June 28, 1970. Credit: Michael Putland/Getty Images Guitarist Jimmy Page of the rock band Led Zeppelin holds court at a press conference before their show at the Forum on September 4, 1970 in Los Angeles, Calif. Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images "Led Zeppelin III," released in October 1970.

The album included "Immigrant Song," "That's the Way," and "Since I've Been Loving You." Credit: Atlantic Records Lead singer Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin performs on stage at Madison Square Garden on September 3, 1971 in New York City. Credit: Walter Iooss Jr./Getty Images "Led Zeppelin IV," released November 1971, featured the songs "Stairway to Heaven," "Black Dog," and "When the Levee Breaks." Page said "Stairway to Heaven" - one of the most-played pieces of music on the radio, despite a length of over eight minutes - was not released as a single. "There was no way it could be edited" said Page. ""It started off at one tempo, and then accelerates all the way through. So it was impossible, really, to do edits on it that would be convincing." When asked to explain its popularity, he suggested it was because Credit: Atlantic Records The rock band Led Zeppelin performs onstage 1972. From left: John Paul Jones, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, playing his Gibson Les Paul electric guitar with a bow.

Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin is seen in concert at Chicago Stadium, May 5, 1973. Credit: Laurance Ratner/WireImage/Getty Images John Paul Jones, John Bonham, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, pictured in front of their jet in New York, July 24, 1973. Jones said the jet made perfect sense: "If you were doing a four-week tour, you'd choose four bases: New York, L.A., New Orleans, Chicago, something like that. And then you'd have a limo at the hotel go straight onto the tarmac, onto the plane, 20 minute flight, half an hour at the most to the show, you'd be out, and you'd be back at the base by midnight after the show. You'd have your food on the plane, it was just wonderful." Without the jet, he said, "you'd finish the show, there'd be a motel, the town would've closed during the show, so there's no food anywhere. I mean, I had to go to bed so hungry some nights, just nothing anywhere to eat.

There was no catering, there's no nothing. You know, it was like, 'Oh God Credit: copyright Bob Gruen / bobgruen.com John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Bonham of Led Zepplin in a promotional photo from Swan Song. The group formed the label in 1974 under Atlantic Records. Credit: Swan Song The Led Zeppelin double-album "Physical Graffiti" (1975) including previously-unreleased tracks from prior sessions. Song included "Trampled Under Foot," "In My Time of Dying," "Down by the Seaside," "Black Country Woman" and "Bron-Yr-Aur." Credit: Swan Song Records The 1979 album "In Through the Out Door" was the last Led Zeppelin comprised of totally new material, including the song "Fool in the Rain." Some material recorded during the 1978 sessions was dropped form the album, and later released in the compilation "Coda." Credit: Swan Song Singer Robert Plant of the British band Led Zeppelin performs on stage at Earl's Court in London, England in May 1975.

Credit: Michael Putland/Getty Images Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, playing a Gibson Les Paul guitar, performs onstage at New York City's Madison Square Garden during filming for "The Song Remains The Same," July 23, 1973. Credit: David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images The marquee of the Fox Wilshire theater at the Los Angeles premiere of the Led Zeppelin concert movie "The Song Remains The Same," October 21, 1976. The film was one of the first to feature Dolby multi-track stereo sound. Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin performs on stage at Oakland Coliseum, July 23, 1977. Credit: Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty Drummer John Bonham (pictured here in December 1968), died in 1980 at age 32. Jones said that when Bonham passed away, the group agreed unanimously to disband "immediately," he told Mason. ""It wasn't the band anymore. I mean, he was such an integral part." "That must have been an incredibly difficult decision," Mason said.

"No, it was an easy decision," Jones replied. Credit: Dick Barnatt/Redferns/Getty Images When Led Zeppelin reunited in London for one night only in 2007, for a concert to honor the late head of Atlantic Records Ahmet Ertegun, more than 20 million people applied for the 18,000 passes. Credit: Warner Brothers/Atlantic In November 2012, the band released the DVD "Celebration Day," a concert film of Led Zeppelin's December 2007 tribute concert to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, recorded in London's O2 Arena. Credit: Atlantic Members of the rock group Led Zeppelin pose with the children of the late John Bonham after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, January 12, 1995 in New York. From left: Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Zoe and Jason Bonham, and Robert Plant. Credit: BOB STRONG/AFP/Getty Images British rock legend Robert Plant performs with his band the Strange Sensation during the Somerset House Summer Series at Somerset House on July 10, 2006 in London, England.

Credit: Jim Dyson/Getty Images Singer Robert Plant and bluegrass queen Alison Krauss hold their Grammy awards in the photo room during the 51st annual Grammy Awards, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, February 8, 2009. Plant and Krauss won five awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year, for their acclaimed collaboration, "Raising Sand." Credit: VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and singer Leona Lewis perform during the Closing Ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images Musician John Paul Jones (right) conducts the orchestral part of the song "The Pretender" during the 50th annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 10, 2008 in Los Angeles, Calif. Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin pose following a dinner for Kennedy Center honorees hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the U.S.

Department of State on December 1, 2012 in Washington, D.C. Credit: Ron Sachs/Getty Images Kennedy Center Honorees John Paul Jones, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin; comedian and late night talk show host David Letterman; blues musician Buddy Guy; ballerina Natalia Makarova; and actor Dustin Hoffman are seen during the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors December 2, 2012 in Washington, D.C. Each was honored for their lifetime contributions to the arts. Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images A studio portrait of Led Zeppelin. For more info: by CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan Credit: Soren Starbird Jimmy Page | New Music And Songs | Jimmy Page About Jimmy Page Unquestionably one of the all-time most influential, important, and versatile guitarists and songwriters in rock history is Jimmy Page.

Just about every rock guitarist from the late '60s/early '70s to the present day has been influenced by Page's work with Led Zeppelin -- his monolithic riffs served as a blueprint for what would eventually become heavy metal, yet he refused to be pigeonholed to any single musical style (touching upon folk, country, funk, blues, and other genres). Page also lent a hand in writing (or co-writing) Zeppelin's vast array of classic songs and produced all their albums. Born on January 9, 1944, in Heston, Middlesex, England, Page picked up the guitar at age 13 after being inspired by the Elvis Presley tune "Baby Let's Play House," and while he took several lessons, was mostly self-taught. Instead of attending college right after high school, Page decided to join his first real rock band, Neil Christian & the Crusaders, whom he toured England with. But Page fell seriously ill (with glandular fever) and was forced to quit and recuperate. Dejected, Page pondered giving up music and focusing on another interest, painting, as he enrolled at an art college in Sutton, Surrey.

With the emergence of such bands as the Rolling Stones in the early '60s and their gritty blues-rock, Page's interest in music perked up once again -- but instead of forming a band right away, he decided to hone his craft by becoming one of England's top session guitarists and producers. Although the exact specifics of which sessions he was involved with have become hazy over time, it's confirmed that he worked with many of the day's top acts, including the Who, Them, Donovan, the Kinks, and the Rolling Stones, among others. By 1966, Page was looking to put his session work on hold and join a full-time band; he accepted an offer to play with the Yardbirds (initially as a bassist, then shortly thereafter as a guitarist), as he was paired up with another one of rock's all-time guitar greats, Jeff Beck. Although the Yardbirds began as a straight-ahead blues-rock band, with the inclusion of Page in the lineup, the group began experimenting with psychedelic and hard rock styles.

Despite it being obvious that the Yardbirds were on the downside of their career (Beck left shortly after Page came onboard), Page appeared on the album Little Games and several tours before the band finally called it a day in 1968. With a string of tour dates still set up throughout Europe, Page decided to go through with the shows and put together a new band that was dubbed the New Yardbirds -- including longtime session bassist John Paul Jones, plus newcomers Robert Plant on vocals and John Bonham on drums. After the completion of their initial tour, the band changed its name to Led Zeppelin and explored the still largely uncharted territory of hard rock/heavy metal.

The band immediately became one of rock's most successful and enduring bands, issuing a string of classic albums from 1969 through 1975 -- Led Zeppelin I, Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV, Houses of the Holy, and Physical Graffiti -- which spawned such classic rock radio standards as "Dazed and Confused," "Whole Lotta Love," "Immigrant Song," "Black Dog," "Stairway to Heaven," and "Kashmir," as the band also became a must-see live act in the process. Page also found the time to work with folk artist Roy Harper (most notably his 1971 release, Stormcock, under the alias S. Flavius Mercurius). Zeppelin was arguably the biggest rock band in the world by the mid-'70s (their influence on other rock bands following in their wake cannot be stressed enough) as they launched their own record company, Swan Song, but it was around this time that Page began dabbling with heroin and other substances, eventually leading to him becoming a full-blown addict by the late '70s/early '80s (as a result, his playing began to suffer).

Also, Page's interest in the occult became a concern to those around him (he went as far as purchasing a mansion on the Loch Ness in Scotland that was once owned by renowned Satanist Aleister Crowley). Zeppelin continued issuing albums until the dawn of the '80s (1976's concert movie/soundtrack The Song Remains the Same and Presence, 1979's In Through the Out Door), but tragedy ultimately derailed the quartet -- the death of Plant's young son in 1977 and Bonham's alcohol-related death in 1980. After Led Zeppelin decided to call it quits in late 1980, Page disappeared from sight (it became known later on that he hardly touched his instrument for a long time afterward). It wasn't until 1982 that Page began to emerge from his self-imposed exile, as he composed and played on the motion picture soundtrack to Death Wish III, compiled the Zeppelin outtakes collection Coda, and took part in the 1983 star-studded A.R.M.S. tour, which saw Page unite with Beck and Eric Clapton for a series of shows that raised money for multiple sclerosis research.

In 1984, Page guested alongside Plant, Beck, and Nile Rodgers on the hit EP of rock & roll oldies The Honeydrippers, and formed his first band since the demise of Zeppelin, dubbed the Firm. The group featured former Free/Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers, and despite the fact that their self-titled debut was a sizable hit, the band decided to call it a day shortly after the release of its lukewarm-received sophomore effort, Mean Business. Led Zeppelin fans were given a rare treat when Zeppelin's surviving three members reunited (with drummers Tony Thompson and Phil Collins) for the mammoth Live Aid at Philadelphia's JFK Stadium in July 1985 -- unfortunately handing in an incredibly under-rehearsed, sloppy performance. Zeppelin reunited again in 1988 for the Atlantic Records 25th anniversary concert at New York's Madison Square Garden (this time Bonham's son, Jason, filled in for his late father behind the kit), and yet again performed another mistake-filled mini set.

The same year Page guested on Plant's solo release Now & Zen, as well as issuing his first ever solo recording, Outrider, following it up with a tour that touched upon tracks from all eras of his career. By the early '90s, further rumors of an impending Zeppelin reunion continued to circulate, and after Plant declined an invitation from Page to join forces once again, Page decided to collaborate with former Deep Purple/Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale, whose vocal style was often compared to Plant's over the years. Page's latest project only lasted a single album, 1993's heavily Zep-like Coverdale/Page, as a proposed world tour was scrapped in favor of just a few select dates in Japan. In 1994, Plant and Page finally agreed to collaborate once again (although Jones wasn't invited this time), leading to the release of the acoustic set No Quarter the same year, plus a highly popular MTV Unplugged special and sold-out world tour.

A year later, Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, this being the second time a Page-related band got the nod from the Hall (in 1992, the Yardbirds were honored). The year 1998 saw Plant and Page issue an album of all-new material, Walking into Clarksdale, which was surprisingly not well received by the public, sinking from sight shortly after its release. The duo went their separate ways by the late '90s, as Page joined the Black Crowes for a tour and live album (2000's Live at the Greek). The same year as the album's release, another Crowes/Page tour was cut short due to a back injury Page suffered. But in June of 2001, Page took to the concert stage alongside Plant to celebrate the 60th birthday of Roy Harper. In 2005 Page was appointed Office of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his charity work, and the following year he was inducted, along with the rest of Led Zeppelin, into the U.K. Music Hall of Fame.

A one-off charity concert with all of the surviving Led Zeppelin members, with Jason Bonham on drums, occurred in 2007 at the O2 Arena in London, and in 2008 Page appeared in and co-produced the guitar documentary It Might Get Loud, which focused on the careers and playing styles of Page, Jack White, and U2's the Edge. In 2012 Page, Plant, and Jones received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors from President Barack Obama in a White House ceremony amidst rumors circulating about a possible Led Zeppelin reunion in anticipation of the forthcoming deluxe reissues of the band's first three studio albums. By 2014 those rumors had mostly abated, and Page announced that he was going to put together a band and tour as a solo act for the first time since 1988. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi Hear more of Led Zeppelin | Biography, News, Photos and Videos | Contactmusic.com News Pictures Video Press Comments Quotes RSS Biography Led Zeppelin (formed 1968) Led Zeppelin is an English rock band that rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with their heavy blues rock sound.

They are considered by many to be one of the first ever heavy metal bands. Formation: Led Zeppelin's genesis goes back The Yardbirds. Jimmy Page joined The Yardbirds on bass guitar in 1966 but soon switched to play lead guitar alongside Jeff Beck. As the dregs of a largely disbanded Yardbirds fulfilled gig obligations in Scandinavia, singer Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham were drafted in to fill the gaps. John Paul Jones enquired about the vacant bass player role and completed the picture. They toured Scandinavia as The New Yardbirds, eventually changing it to Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin's debut gig was at the University of Surrey, in Guilford, in October 1968. Their debut album, Led Zeppelin was released in January 1969, whilst the band was touring the States. Key Albums & Notable Moments: Led Zeppelin, the band's debut album, was released in 1969. It is reported that the album cost £1,750 to make and by 1975, had grossed $7,000,000.

The album's follow-up, Led Zeppelin II (1969) was recorded largely on the road, whilst the band toured the first album. The album reached number one in both the US and the UK. Led Zeppelin III (1970) was recorded in Wales, in a cottage named Bron-Yr-Aur. A misspelled version of the name gave title to one of the tracks on the album, 'Bron-Y-Aur Stomp'. The band resisted the release of singles from the album. However, many tracks, such as 'Immigrant Song', were released against the band's wishes. Throughout the 1970s, Led Zeppelin's offstage antics became as legendary as their music. In one incident, drummer John Bonham rode a motorcycle through the Continental Hyatt House hotel in Los Angeles. Led Zeppelin's fourth album was not attributed with any obvious title, nor did it show the band's name on the cover. Instead, the cover depicted four symbols, representing each member of the band. It is most commonly referred to as Led Zeppelin IV. In 1973, the band released Houses of the Holy.

The song of the same name did not appear on the album but turned up on 1975's Physical Graffiti. The record was banned in some religious areas of the USA and in Spain, for the cover's depiction of naked children running up the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. Led Zeppelin took a break from touring in 1974 and launched their own record label, Swan Song. Through the label, they released music by the likes of Bad Company, Sad Café and Pretty Things. Physical Graffiti (1975) was the band's first double album and was released on the Swan Song label. The success of the album was so great, that after its release, all of the band's previous albums re-entered the Top 200 album chart simultaneously. In August 1975, Robert Plant and his wife Maureen were involved in a car crash whilst holidaying in Rhodes. Maureen was badly injured and the band was forced to take a hiatus from touring. They spent their time in California, writing material for the next album, Presence (1976). Presence became a platinum-selling album, though its critical response was lukewarm.

The Song Remains the Same became the band's first official live recording and was released both as a film and accompanying soundtrack. In Through the Out Door was recorded in the final months of 1978 and released the next year and reached number one in the UK and the US. On 25th September 1980, John Bonham was found dead by John Paul Jones and the band's tour manager, Benji LeFevre. 'Asphyxiation from vomit' was given as the cause of his death. No drug other than alcohol was found in his body. In December 1980, the band announced that they would not be continuing without Bonham. Until then, various replacements had been rumoured, including Cozy Powell and Bev Bevan of ELO. In 1982, the three surviving members of the band released Coda, a collection of outtakes from a number of different recording sessions Reunions: Page, Plant and Jones were reunited in July 1985, for the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia. They were joined by Phil Collins and Tony Thompson on drums, and Paul Martinez on bass.

The three Led Zeppelin members were again reunited, with John Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, on drums, for the Atlantic Records 40th Birthday party. In 1995, Led Zeppelin was inducted into the rock and Roll Hall of Fame, by Aerosmith's Steve Tyler and Joe Perry. Bonham was represented by his son Jason and daughter Zoe. Led Zeppelin was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, presented to the band by the King of Sweden. In December 2007, Led Zeppelin was once again reunited for a huge one-off concert in London in memory of Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records. Jason Bonham filled in on drums. The promoter Harvey Goldsmith arranged the concert to raise money for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund. Biography by Contactmusic.com Jimmy Page | My Guitar Solo More Jimmy Page Unquestionably one of the all-time most influential, important, and versatile guitarists and songwriters in rock history is Jimmy Page.

Just about every rock guitarist from the late '60s/early '70s to the present day has been influenced by Page's work with Led Zeppelin - his monolithic riffs served as a blueprint for what would eventually become heavy metal, yet he refused to be pigeonholed to any single musical style (touching upon folk, country, funk, blues, and other genres). Page also lent a hand in writing (or co-writing) Zeppelin's vast array of classic songs and produced all their albums. Born on January 9, 1944, in Heston, Middlesex, England, Page picked up the guitar at age 13 after being inspired by the Elvis Presley tune "Baby Let's Play House," and while he took several lessons, was mostly self-taught. Instead of attending college right after high school, Page decided to join his first real rock band, Neil Christian & the Crusaders, whom he toured England with. But Page fell seriously ill (with glandular fever) and was forced to quit and recuperate. Dejected, Page pondered giving up music and focusing on another interest, painting, as he enrolled at an art college in Sutton, Surrey.

With the emergence of such bands as the Rolling Stones in the early '60s and their gritty blues-rock, Page's interest in music perked up once again - but instead of forming a band right away, he decided to hone his craft by becoming one of England's top session guitarists and producers. Although the exact specifics of which sessions he was involved with have become hazy over time, it's confirmed that he worked with many of the day's top acts, including the Who, Them, Donovan, the Kinks, and the Rolling Stones, among others. By 1966, Page was looking to put his session work on hold and join a full-time band; he accepted an offer to play with the Yardbirds (initially as a bassist, then shortly thereafter as a guitarist), as he was paired up with another one of rock's all-time guitar greats, Jeff Beck. Although the Yardbirds began as a straight-ahead blues-rock band, with the inclusion of Page in the lineup, the group began experimenting with psychedelic and hard rock styles.

Despite it being obvious that the Yardbirds were on the downside of their career (Beck left shortly after Page came onboard), Page appeared on the album Little Games and several tours before the band finally called it a day in 1968. With a string of tour dates still set up throughout Europe, Page decided to go through with the shows and put together a new band who was dubbed the New Yardbirds - including longtime session bassist John Paul Jones, plus newcomers Robert Plant on vocals and John Bonham on drums. After the completion of their initial tour, the band changed their name to Led Zeppelin and explored the still largely uncharted territory of hard rock/heavy metal.

The band immediately became one of rock's most successful and enduring bands, issuing a string of classic albums from 1969 through 1975 - Led Zeppelin I, Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV, Houses of the Holy, and Physical Graffiti - which spawned such classic rock radio standards as "Dazed and Confused," "Whole Lotta Love," "Immigrant Song," "Black Dog," "Stairway to Heaven," and "Kashmir," as the band also became a must-see live act in the process. Page also found the time to work with folk artist Roy Harper (most notably his 1971 release, Stormcock, under the alias S. Flavius Mercurius). Zeppelin was arguably the biggest rock band in the world by the mid-'70s (their influence on other rock bands following in their wake cannot be stressed enough) as they launched their own record company, Swan Song, but it was around this time that Page began dabbling with heroin and other substances, eventually leading to him becoming a full-blown addict by the late '70s/early '80s (as a result, his playing began to suffer).

Also, Page's interest in the occult became a concern to those around him (he went as far as purchasing a mansion on the Loch Ness in Scotland that was once owned by renowned Satanist Aleister Crowley). Zeppelin continued issuing albums until the dawn of the '80s (1976's concert movie/soundtrack The Song Remains the Same and Presence, 1979's In Through the Out Door), but tragedy ultimately derailed the quartet - the death of Plant's young son in 1977 and Bonham's alcohol-related death in 1980. After Led Zeppelin decided to call it quits in late 1980, Page disappeared from sight (it became known later on that he hardly touched his instrument for a long time afterward). It wasn't until 1982 that Page began to emerge from his self-imposed exile, as he composed and played on the motion picture soundtracks to Death Wish I and Death Wish II, compiled the Zeppelin outtakes collection, Coda, and took part in the 1983 star-studded A.R.M.S.

tour, which saw Page unite with Beck and Eric Clapton for a series of shows that raised money for multiple sclerosis research. In 1984, Page guested alongside Plant, Beck, and Nile Rodgers on the hit EP of rock & roll oldies The Honeydrippers, and formed his first band since the demise of Zeppelin, dubbed the Firm. The group featured former Free/Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers, and despite the fact that their self-titled debut was a sizeable hit, the band decided to call it a day shortly after the release of their lukewarm-received sophomore effort, Mean Business. Zeppelin fans were given a rare treat when their surviving three members reunited (with drummers Tony Thompson and Phil Collins) for the mammoth Live Aid at Philadelphia's JFK Stadium in July 1985 - unfortunately handing in an incredibly under-rehearsed, sloppy performance. Zeppelin reunited again in 1988 for the Atlantic Records 25th Anniversary Concert at New York's Madison Square Garden (this time Bonham's son, Jason, filled in for his late father behind the kit), and yet again performed another mistake-filled mini set.

The same year Page guested on Plant's solo release, Now & Zen, as well as issuing his first ever solo recording, Outrider, following it up with a tour that touched upon tracks from all eras of his career. By the early '90s, further rumors of an impending Zeppelin reunion continued to circulate, and after Plant declined an invitation from Page to join forces once again, Page decided to collaborate with former Deep Purple/Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale, whose vocal style has often been compared to Plant's over the years. Page's latest project only lasted a single album, 1993's heavily Zep-like Coverdale/Page, as a proposed world tour was scrapped in favor of just a few select dates in Japan. In 1994, Plant and Page finally agreed to collaborate once again (although Jones wasn't invited this time), leading to the release of the acoustic set No Quarter the same year, plus a highly popular MTV Unplugged special and sold-out world tour.

A year later, Led Zeppelin was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, this being the second time a Page-related band got the nod from the Hall (in 1992, the Yardbirds were honored). 1998 saw Plant and Page issue an album of all-new material, Walking into Clarksdale, which was surprisingly not well received by the public, sinking from sight shortly after its release. The duo went their separate ways by the late '90s, as Page joined the Black Crowes for a tour and live album (2000's Live at the Greek). The same year as the album's release, another Crowes/Page tour was cut short due to a back injury Page suffered. But in June of 2001, Page took to the concert stage alongside Plant to celebrate the 60th birthday of their friend, folk artist Roy Harper. Jimmy Page | 100 Greatest Guitarists: David Fricke's Picks | Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Guitarists: David Fricke's Picks 100 Greatest Guitarists: David Fricke's Picks 100 All Stories 9.

Jimmy Page In the 1970s, there was no bigger rock group in the world than Led Zeppelin and no greater god on six strings than Zeppelin's founder-captain Jimmy Page. Nothing much has changed. The imperial weight, technical authority and exotic reach of Page's writing and playing on Zeppelin's eight studio albums have lost none of their power: the rusted, slow-death groan of Page's solo, played with a violin bow, in "Dazed and Confused," on Zeppelin's 1969 debut; the circular, cast-iron stammer of his riffing on "Black Dog," on the band's fourth LP; the melodic momentum and chrome-spear tone of his closing solo in Zeppelin's most popular song, "Stairway to Heaven." Page actually built Zeppelin's sound and might from a wide palette of inspirations and previous experience. In the early and mid-1960s, Page was a first-call studio musician in London, playing on Kinks and Everly Brothers dates and honing his production skills on singles for John Mayall and future Velvet Underground vocalist Nico.

And before forming Zeppelin in London in the late summer of 1968 with singer Robert Plant, drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones, Page had been the lead guitarist in the final lineup of the Yardbirds. Led Zeppelin Bio Formed: 1968 in London, England Years Active: 1968 through 1980. Group's Main Members: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham Led Zeppelin was rock's first real Heavy Metal band. Yet many of their fans were not even fans of metal music. They came about after guitarist Jimmy Page, (who was rock's most sort after session man in the early and mid sixties) was left with what was the remains of theYardbirds. He had join the Yardbirds to record with them on what would be their final album, Little Games in 1967. In the spring of 1968, Page played lead guitar on Donovan's song "Hurdy Gurdy Man" which also featured bassist John Paul Jones. Jones had heard rumors that the Yardbirds might break up and told Page he would like to be part of any new band he might put together.

By the summer of '68 the Yardbirds' frontman Keith Relf, along with James McCarty left the band leaving behind Page and bassist Chris Dreja with the rights to the name and obligation of fulfilling an upcoming fall tour. Page wanted to hire vocalist Terry Reid as Relf's replacement, but Reid was still with Procol Harum and suggested Page check out his friend, Robert Plant, who was singing for a band called Hobbstweedle. After hearing Plant sing, Page asked him to join the Yardbirds. About the same time, Dreja left the band and Jones joined the group. Plant then suggested that Page hire his former drummer John Bonham, who played with Plant in the group, The Band Of Joy. At first Bonham turned them down as he was being offered more money by others, but by that September he agreed to join them. They played the previously booked Yardbirds engagements in late September '68 as the "New Yardbirds". The following month they changed the name to Led Zeppelin (the name was suggested by the Who's Keith Moon, who got the name from fellow Who member John Entwistle, who came up with the name and wanted to use it for his backup band).

Page felt a new name was needed since they really were no longer in any way the Yardbirds. They wanted to play the blues, but in a way not yet done by any other bands. Led Zep then signed with Atlantic Records in the United States and began to record their debut album, which was released in early 1969, along with a tour of the U.S. They started their tour in America since they felt England would only look upon then as the "old" Yardbirds. They were paid very little at first, playing one show for only $200. But quickly they got hot. The album Led Zeppelin, made the US top ten and the band toured non stop the entire year in both America and England. While on the road they recorded their second album Led Zeppelin II , which was released on October 22, '69 and spend seven weeks at number one. Considering it passed the Stones new album Let It Bleed and knocked the Beatles' Abbey Road from the number one spot two months after its release, it was most definitely a powerful statement. Led Zep kept touring through 1970. They found the time to record their third LP and Led Zeppelin III was released that October.

Although it still had some heavy numbers like "Immigrant Song", the album was a little more mellow than the first two albums. That December they started to record their fourth album and sessions lasted till the next summer, several things held up the new album and the LP would not be released till the end of 1971. The band not only wanted the album to be untitled, but wanted nothing written on it; no credits or any text anywhere on the album, on its inside or outside sleeves. They wanted the music to do the talking. They were eventually talked out of it by Atlantic Records and there were credits added to the inside paper sleeve, but still, nothing was written on the front cover to identify the album or who put it out, and the album was left untitled by the band. It did get to be know unofficially as Led Zeppelin IV . The songs on the album were indeed powerful and the album reach number two on the charts. One of the songs was "Stairway to Heaven", which would not only go down as Led Zep's best song ever, but rock's best ever song too, as far as most rock fans feel.

In 1972 the band did less touring and worked on their fifth album. It would be released in the spring of '73 and titled Houses Of The Holy . Once again the album was filled with a little bit of everything and was another top seller, reaching number one, despite bad press reviews about it. The tour that supported the album broke just about all of the then records for attendance, as did the nightly gate cash receipts. Near the end of the tour while in New York City, someone broke into their hotel's safety deposit box and got off with the first nights gross from the NYC gig, $205,000.00 in cash. It was the single highest theft from a deposit box in Manhattan's history. Yet the band's members didn't seem to be fazed one bit by it. There would be no new releases in 1974 but they did establish their own record label, Swan Song. In '75, the double album Physical Graffiti came out.on their new label. Once again it was an immediate success. But a planned tour had to be canceled when Plant and his wife were involved in a serious car crash. It took a full year for Plant to recuperate.

Unfortunately, more bad things were on the horizon for Plant and the band. In the spring of '76 their new album Presence debuted at number one in both America and England even though it didn't get good reviews. Later that year their film The Song Remains The Same also received poor reviews. In the spring of 1977 they returned to tour America, but only two months into the tour tragedy hit when Plant's six-year-old son died of an infection and the rest of the tour was canceled. Their eighth studio album, In Through The Out Door, wasn't released till September of 1979. What would go down as their final tour started in May of '80 in Europe. That September as they were preparing for their upcoming American tour at Page's home, Bonham was found dead in bed following an all-day drinking binge. More than likely rock's best drummer, Led Zep knew they could not go on without him and disbanded a month later. After the breakup the remaining members went on to solo careers. In 1985, they reunited to play Live Aid. Then in '88 the got together one more time to play at Atlantic's 25th Anniversary Concert.

Page and Plant would get together as a duo in '95 and completed a successful international tour. - Keno, 1999 The World According to… Jimmy Page The World According to… Jimmy Page Ellen Barnes | 02.07.2011 Comb the annals of Jimmy Page interviews and you’ll find that the notoriously elusive Led Zeppelin guitarist has a pretty cool take on the world. The 67-year-old first picked up a guitar at age 12 and has been at work on it ever since, playing high-profile session work for The Who, The Kinks and Van Morrison, among others, before joining the seminal London group, The Yardbirds. Of course, Page’s biggest imprint was made in Led Zeppelin from 1968 to 1980. Equipped with Gibsons, ranging from the Les Paul Standard to the Doubleneck EDS-1275 to the J-200, Page picked, strummed and shredded his way into the ranks of the world’s best and most influential guitarists.

Led Zeppelin’s supernatural chemistry ended abruptly when, traumatized by the death of drummer John Bonham, the band disbanded more than 30 years ago. But that hasn’t stopped Page from continuing on with his music or prevented Led Zeppelin fans from holding out hope for a legitimate reunion. What does Page have to say about the chances of that? Read on for his take on a Led Zeppelin reunion and other insights. On a guitarist’s style, as told to Guitar World in 2006 “I believe every guitar player inherently has something unique about their playing. They just have to identify what makes them different and develop it.” On being an only child, as told to Rolling Stone in 1975 “That early isolation, it probably had a lot to do with the way I turned out. A loner. A lot of people can’t be on their own. They get frightened. Isolation doesn’t bother me at all. It gives me a sense of security.” On paying his dues, as told to Guitar World in 1993 “My session work was invaluable. At one point, I was playing at least three sessions a day, six days a week.

And I rarely ever knew in advance what I was going to be playing. But I learned things even on my worst sessions — and believe me, I played on some horrendous things. I finally called it quits after I started getting calls to do [elevator music]. I decided I couldn’t live that life anymore; it was getting too silly. I guess it was destiny that, a week after I quit doing sessions, Paul Samwell-Smith left The Yardbirds, and I was able to take his place. But being a session musician was good fun in the beginning — the studio discipline was great. They’d just count the song off, and you couldn’t make any mistakes.” On forming the concept for Zeppelin, as told to Guitar World in 1993 “I had a lot of ideas from my days with The Yardbirds. The Yardbirds allowed me to improvise a lot in live performance, and I started building a textbook of ideas that I eventually used in Zeppelin. In addition to those ideas, I wanted to add acoustic textures. Ultimately, I wanted Zeppelin to be a marriage of blues, hard rock and acoustic music topped with heavy choruses — a combination that had never been done before.

Lots of light and shade in the music.” On his fingerpicking style, as told in Conversations with Forty Great Guitar Players in 1992 “My fingerpicking is sort of a cross between Pete Seeger, Earl Scruggs and total incompetence.” On what made his band work, as told to People in 1975 “The actual chemistry — or is it alchemy — of the group is that everything just always fits together. I can go roaring off on a solo, then suddenly break off into staccato. I look up at Robert [Plant] and somehow we’re all there. It’s like ESP.” On the accoutrements of fame, as told to Rolling Stone in 1975 “I love playing. If it was down to just that, it would be utopia. But it’s not. It’s airplanes, hotel rooms, limousines and armed guards standing outside rooms. I don’t get off on that part of it all.

But it’s the price I’m willing to pay to get out and play.” On his approach to love, as told to People in 1975 “Let’s just say I’m like a ship passing through storms, resting in ports now and then until it’s time to continue the journey. I once told a friend, ‘I’m just looking for an angel with a broken wing’ — one that couldn’t fly away.” On the wild world of rock and roll, as told to Guitar World in 2006 “Everybody has dark and light in them, and evil is just a relative idea. Many ideas regarding sex and drugs that were considered taboo in the ’50s are accepted now. Who’s to say what’s right and what’s wrong? In another 50 years, it’ll all be topsy-turvy anyway. It’s just the way people view a collective consciousness at any given time.” On hopes for a Led Zeppelin reunion, as told to The Sunday Times in 2010 “At the time of the run-up and rehearsals towards the [O2] show, I think we assumed that there were going to be more dates. It would have been nice to have played more concerts.

But, even while I was going ’round doing Christmas shopping, people were still coming up and saying, ‘Is there a chance of a reunion?’ I don’t have any real answer, apart from that it doesn’t look like it.” Check out the guitars that Jimmy Page played:

Question: Which group was Jimmy Page in immediately before forming Led Zeppelin?
Answer: The Yardbirds